Tips For Outdoor Wedding Photography

Outdoor wedding photography creates an eloquent story of your special day. The beautiful scenes, the sunlight, and the fresh air really sets the scene for romance. Unfortunately, light, clouds, wind, and even the elements are never the same from moment to moment. Since the natural elements are quite different from the indoors, there are several things you will need to consider in order to help even the best wedding photographers to get good pictures.

Choose A Good Background

Like with indoor wedding photography, there are things you want to include in a background because they add to the picture and things that are best left out. Standing on the edge of a hill with the mountains in the backdrop, for instance, would make stunning pictures. Having a car in the background is not what you want to see. If it does happen, it isn't the end of the world. For wedding photographers, this might mean they will shoot from a different angle or use a different lens and focus setting to blur out the background.

Small settings work just as well for wedding photography as large backdrops. A small background needs texture in the background to help set up the scene for you. This could include things like a fountain, architecture, shrubs, and even walkways. Many couples actually prefer the smaller settings for the intimate feelings wedding photographers can create with them.
Natural Lighting

Strong natural sunlight can make it very difficult to take good pictures. It creates very distinct shadows on the photographs and very bright areas. While it does create dramatic photographs, it isn't always the best. In this instance, the shade or even a cloudy day creates a nice soft lighting for photographs. About an hour before sunset and sunrise are the times when the lighting is the best, mostly because the light takes on a golden color that adds a nice touch to most locations.

Consider Black And White

Because of the rich textures usually found in outdoor wedding photography, having the photograph make some or all of the portraits black and white can be a nice touch. The added texture from foliage and architecture is highlighted just enough to keep the pictures interesting. As an added benefit, eliminating the color from a photograph also works well with pictures taken in the strong light.

Worse Case Scenarios

Having wedding portraits taken outdoors means you and the wedding photographers will be dealing with nature. Swarms of little flies or dust make small little marks in the pictures. If it is extremely windy, very hot, or cold, it will show up in the faces of the subjects as well. Things such as snow and rain show up as marks in the photographs. If you are having the pictures taken inside of a large gazebo or covered structure, the snow or rain in the background can actually make a nice background for your portraits. However, it is always a good idea to have an alternative plan in place in order to prepare for the unexpected.

Whether you are in an exotic location or downtown Chicago, wedding photography taken outdoors is a great way to get unique backgrounds for your portraits and even the ceremony itself. Along with the beautiful scenery, however, comes the realm of possibilities and unexpected occurrences. Planning, careful selection of the location, and even the time the pictures are taken will have a huge impact on the final story wedding photographers capture.

Christine O'Kelly is an author for Essence, a Chicago wedding photography company. They are leading providers of Chicago wedding photographers and videographers who have received several awards for their photojournalistic abilities.

To learn how to become a wedding photographer, click on the banner below.